Suicide Squad seemed like the dream DC film from the day it was announced. With David Ayer behind the camera and an all star cast in front what could possibly go wrong? Suicide Squad's marketing campaign has been nothing short of stellar, I can't believe that the same studio marketed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. On Tuesday when the embargo for 'Suicide Squad' dropped and I saw a majority of reviews were negative I became concerned. This has become a trend with DC releases since Man Of Steel and generally I've come to agree that those films had problems. I found Man of Steel to be ok, while Batman v Superman was enjoyable but severely disappointing as a result of poor technical execution and odd creative decisions. Both of those previous entries into the DCEU were helmed by Zack Snyder so I had hoped he was what was holding the DCEU from reaching it's full potential, that is till I saw the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice- Ultimate Edition, the director's cut, that made remarkable improvements to the lacking theatrical cut.
That along with several reports of studio interference on Suicide Squad made me increasingly more anxious that the reason the DCEU hasn't burst the bubble is that Warner Bros. is holding it back. Well, I'm glad to report that I no longer have those worries after viewing Suicide Squad at an early screening last evening as this is the one time I don't feel the negativity is justified. Also, there will be spoilers for Batman v Superman and on that note the film itself spoils a major plot point from Batman v Superman since it takes place afterwards in the DCEU timeline. With that out of the way, it's probably time I started actually reviewing Suicide Squad.
'Suicide Squad' Review
Nominated For: Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Suicide Squad picks up with a shady intelligence organization head Amanda Waller assembling a team of criminals that she believes are capable of defending humanity from the next big meta-human threat now that Superman's in the grave. The catch, these bad guys are the worst of the worst and Waller has some contingencies in place in case they don't want to play nice (Those familiar with the squad will know exactly what I'm referring to). After a mysterious threat arises, Waller brings together Task Force X (the covert name for the squad) and send them to handle the situation. That's the basic premise of Suicide Squad and it's unique in the sense that there are no heroes around, our protagonists are bad guys and the antagonists are even worse.
While Marvel has a scarce library of compelling villains to pull from, DC has the motherland with plenty of great options and so it seems only right that they would bring them all together for a team movie like this to showcase them off and if Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice brought us our first glimpses of the Justice League it's only right that Suicide Squad shows off some of their baddies.
As I stated in the prologue, Suicide Squad has had some terrific marketing material that was very promising so once the negative reviews poured in I started to feel a little concerned but remained determined I would keep an open mind while watching it and not let the venomous critiques alter my opinion. With that being said, I loved Suicide Squad despite what I've read. While I understand the critics' complaints, I don't feel they are as bad as they're being made out to be. I had too much of a good time thanks to the electric chemistry from the remarkable cast and Ayer's pizazz.
Coming straight off Fury, I was stoked to hear David Ayer would be in charge. Ayer wrote the screenplay in addition to directing the picture and, while I have a few gripes I'll discuss in a moment, he did incredibly well in both departments. Ayer pulls off an interesting mix of grounded and gritty while instilling a sense of levity making for a unique tone in the DCEU's bleak library. FINALLY, someone in the DCEU can tell a joke from time to time.
I've seen many complaints about the editing but I didn't have a problem with it since it's much better than the atrocity that was Batman v Superman's cobbled together theatrical cut. In other technical areas, the visual effects were well done with a flashy mix of grit and bright aesthetics for roughed up look throughout. The costuming department also had a bit of fun giving each character their unique charm and flavor through their choice of attire, while the makeup and prosthetics used to make Killer Croc were just darn incredible. The action on display is fun to watch with terrific fight choreography but none of the sequences were particularly memorable in comparison to other comic book movies.
My qualms with the film were essentially that some elements were typical generic plot devices and story points we see in almost every comic book movie these days. I kid you not, the antagonist feels so similar to X-Men: Apocalypse's titular big bad in that their motivations are murky, their plan seems contrived, and they're just weird. Since Suicide Squad's ad campaign didn't disclose the antagonist I will refrain from lifting the veil from your eyes and when discussing performances will try to be generic so that it's difficult to determine just who is opposing the squad. It wasn't the least bit surprising to me but I'd like to keep up the ambiance if possible. Also there's quite a few cliché moments that were predictable and not as emotionally impactful as they were probably intended to be. One other issue was that the soundtrack didn't always vibe with what was going on during the film and I actually would have preferred an actual score throughout with maybe some of the greatest pop songs interspersed less often more akin to Guardians of the Galaxy, a clear inspiration for the project. Steven Price's score is great when utilized but the classic pop hits are turned up too loud and too often that it was a slight annoyance.
What really made the film click was it's illustrious ensemble and their tortured team dynamic. Margot Robbie's beautifully twisted Harley Quinn and Will Smith's expert marksman Deadshot take the spotlight as the characters with the most focus of the group and they steal plenty of scenes. Robbie makes for a terrific Harley Quinn though as she borrows from the character's longstanding history to incorporate many of her infamous mannerisms while managing to make the role her own. Harley's arc is primarily tied in with Leto's Joker, don't worry I'll get to him soon enough, and the two work wonders together on screen thanks to some phenomenal chemistry.
Smith gives the most likable performance he's provided in some time now with charisma aplenty and his Floyd Lawton has a nice emotional touchstone arc involving his daughter that brings out his heart of gold despite his willingness to kill basically anyone. Jay Hernandez has a breakout role as Diablo, a hothead meta-human with the most relatable backstory and one of the more emotional arcs out of the squad. Jai Courtney is finally given substantial role in Aussie Captain Boomerang that he excels in, serving as effective comedic relief throughout the film.
Cara Delevingne plays June Moon who's possessed by a strange witch named Enchantress. Delevingne's movements and mannerisms are very strange as the character crawls about scantily clothed and made for the weirdest of the performances on display. As for other squad members, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's a creepy reptilian Killer Croc, Karen Fukuhara plays samurai Katana, and Adam Beach is the slick Slipknot. The three have the least material and screen time but each member of the squad gets at least a few standout moments to shine.
Now I bet you want to know what I thought of Jared Leto's Joker. Well he doesn't have a lot of screen time but when onscreen he invokes what a modern psychotic Clown Prince of Crime would be like with swagger, mental instability, and a sense of purpose. With that being said, I didn't see enough of his Joker to warrant a proper comparison to previous incarnations, but while he's certainly no Heath Ledger he was fine as the character and I'd love to see more of his unique take and hopefully opposite Ben Affleck's Batman someday.
Viola Davis makes Amanda Waller a woman who means business and any sane individual would definitely want to mess with and she plays it with remarkable conviction. Sure some of her action's don't make sense but they make her all the more fearsome. Her stooge Rick Flagg is played by Joel Kinnaman who gives him enough southern militaristic twang to be somewhat relevant but was probably the character I cared the least about. He's the one leading the squad in their mission and responsible for dishing out punishment if they deviate from the mission's parameters.
Overall, they made for an incredible well rounded cast that dish out one-liners with charisma, gusto, and heart. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for easter eggs, cameos, and there is in fact a mid-credits scene. While Suicide Squad has it's flaws, it's harmless fun and what joyous entertainment it is! I found it more difficult to dig out flaws than strengths as the pros are abundant thanks to the terrific performances and fun tone. I highly recommend Suicide Squad and can guarantee you'll have a great time, Suicide Squad is a blast and don't let Rotten Tomatoes tell you otherwise.
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